


Reckless Abandon

by beyonceofmysticfalls



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25791817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyonceofmysticfalls/pseuds/beyonceofmysticfalls
Summary: Bonnie Bennett is everything High Society dreads; a free-thinking woman with the tenacity to back it up. On the surface, she is what everyone assumes, however, Niklaus Mikaelson has always been one to see beyond the smoke and mirrors.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett & Klaus Mikaelson, Bonnie Bennett/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. Introducing...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm back with another one. If I don't post it now, I probably never will lol. As you all know, I love Bonnie Bennett and I don't think I'll ever let her go so, as long as you all are still reading, you're stuck with me. Yes, I borrowed Prudence (Night) Blackwood from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina because Prudence is that bitch. This story came to me one night while writing chapters to No Church In The Wild and I had to stop to get this off my chest. I hope you all like it. It is (very) loosely inspired by Jay-Z & Beyonce's song Part II (On The Run) along with other songs that'll be mentioned later (through lyrics and chapter titles). This story is completely AU|AH meaning there are no supernatural elements and the characters are a bit OOC. It's my first attempt at this so be nice to me, please! Thank you for the reviews in advance!

_“Who wants that perfect love story anyway? Cliché…”_

-X-

**_Wake up. Dress. Hair. Make-up. Smile for 8 hours. Come home… Wash. Rinse. Repeat._ **

Routines were never Bonnie Bennett’s forte. She left that to her sister Prudence. If Bonnie had to be somewhere at 8 am, she’d wake up at 7:55, fully expecting to get there on time. Her father’s voice always echoed in the back of her mind, _‘You can’t leave the house 5 minutes beforehand and expect to make it there 10 minutes early!’_ Over the years, that voice became a dull mute. Today was no different.

**“Oh my God, are you kidding me? Wake your ass up!”** Bonnie groaned and pulled the sheets over her head, trying hard to drown out her sister’s voice. Prudence Bennett stood over her younger sister, glaring at her in disdain. It was always something with her. **“MOM!”**

A tired Abby Bennett came into view in Bonnie’s doorframe, staring at her youngest child in disappointment. **“Of course she’s not up. I heard her come in at three this morning, she’s probably hungover,”** Bonnie could hear the defeat in her mother’s voice from underneath her pillow.

**“Yes, I am. So if you all would get out and turn off the lights that would be great. Thanks,”** Abby rolled her eyes and walked over to Bonnie’s bed. She yanked the covers back and grabbed Bonnie by the leg, pulling the young girl out of bed. Bonnie tumbled onto the floor, growling as she heard Prudence’s cackles in her ears.

**“Seriously!? I have a headache!”** Bonnie bit back a cuss when she saw the look on Abby’s face.

**“I’m sick of you and your shenanigans, Bonnie,”** Abby shoved a stern finger in Bonnie’s face, provoking her on purpose. **“Have your ass dressed and downstairs in thirty minutes or I swear on my mother’s grave I will turn your life upside down, you hear me!?”** Bonnie jumped slightly at her mother’s shrill tone, wincing as her headache increased tenfold.

**“Why do I have to go to this stupid thing? She’s the one getting married, not me!”** Abby didn’t dignify Bonnie with a response. Instead, she stormed out of the room, leaving Bonnie and Prudence alone. Bonnie glared at her sister who returned the look with a smug one of her own.

**“Get your ass ready, Bon Bon.”** Bonnie threw a pillow at Prudence who dodged it with ease.

**“Bald-headed bitch,”** Bonnie muttered with no real bite to her tone.

Prudence chuckled and called over her shoulder, **“Ya’ daddy!”**

-X-

Much to her family’s dismay, Bonnie was dressed and ready to go—forty-five minutes later. Any way she could push her mother’s buttons, Bonnie made sure she saw fit to do so. On the outside, they looked magazine ready which was always required. Her father Rudy Hopkins-Bennett was a high-profiled movie producer while Abby Bennett was famous for being famous. Abby’s mother, Sheila Bennett was a famed movie star that was highly regarded during her prime. Her daughter, Abby was the rebellious it-girl, much to Sheila’s dismay. Abby found herself in scandal after scandal, which her mother paid to keep under wraps as much as she could. After meeting Rudy, Abby finally settled down and became the wife and mother Sheila always dreamed she would be. From their union, Abby bore Prudence and Bonnie Bennett. Prudence took after Sheila in her temperaments. Bonnie—well, she was Abby’s karma.

The family of four rode silently in the back of Rudy’s Mulsanne Grand Limousine. Bonnie particularly hated the car because it forced them all to look at each other. Currently, Rudy sat across from Bonnie, watching his baby girl with silent interest. Bonnie had always been a quiet child. Headstrong and sure of herself, however, after the death of his mother-in-law a few years ago, Bonnie slipped off the rails and he neither his wife could ever pull her back to safety.

**“I see you went out last night,”** Rudy began as he thumbed through his text message threads.

**“I did,”** Bonnie answered curtly. **“Had fun too,”** she added. She slouched in her seat, much to Abby’s dismay. While Rudy, Prudence, and herself looked as if they were about to attend a gallant affair, Bonnie looked as though she just left someone’s club twenty minutes prior. Because they were already running late, they couldn’t afford to wait while Bonnie changed. Abby knew Bonnie had done it on purpose.

Prudence giggled softly at Bonnie’s smart-assed response, earning a hard glare from Abby. **“Do not encourage her,”** she hissed sternly. All laughter on Prudence’s face quelled just as Bonnie gave Prudence a sly glance. The two girls shared an amused look before Bonnie turned her attention back to her father.

**“Yes, father, I had a darling time, gallivanting with the peasants,”** Bonnie corrected in a posh accent. She sat up straight, uncrossing her legs as she was taught in finishing school. She folded her hands in her lap and plastered the fakest smile she could muster for them. **“Is this how I am to behave for the next few hours? Is this up to par with your standards?”** Rudy sighed and glanced at his wife with an exhausted look.

**“Maybe we shouldn’t have brought her with us, Abby.”** The two of them shared a look before focusing on their youngest. Bonnie kept her pretenses despite the sting she felt at her father’s words. It was no secret that she was the black sheep of the family, but as the saying goes, it’s better to be included, than excluded. Bonnie dropped the act and returned to her former position. Her eyes met Prudence’s who gave her a sympathetic look. How she wished her sister could be more agreeable sometimes. How much easier would their lives be?

**“You know, you are just so difficult to love sometimes, Bonnie. I don’t understand why you have to fight us on everything. It’s just a luncheon that we want you to be a part of. Jesus Christ, is that too much to ask of you?”** Bonnie stared out of the window quietly. There was another twist in her chest. If she had a dollar for each time someone told her she was hard to love…

**“If I embarrass you all so much, why do you keep inviting me places?”** It was a question that made her parents go stiff. Bonnie tore her eyes from the window to meet their gaze and Prudence swore she saw the beginnings of unshed tears in her sister’s eyes. Her heart broke.

**“Because we love you, Bebe,”** Prudence offered softly, heartbroken that her parents didn’t have an answer for her.

_‘At least one of you do,’_ was what she wanted to say. Instead, Bonnie continued to stare out of the frosted window. There was so much anger inside of her that she didn’t know what to do with. Until she figured it out, her parents were the easiest target.

**“We’ve arrived,”** the driver announced through the open partition. The family of four readied themselves to exit the car. Abby fixed her husband’s bow tie while Prudence checked her hair in a compact mirror. Bonnie watched silently, feeling like a fish out of water.

Abby Bennett was gorgeous. Her long brown and slightly greying hair cascaded down her back, much like Bonnie’s. News tabloids that murmured about her beauty secrets heralded her fair skin. ‘Black,’ Bonnie would always say when asked about their beauty secrets—she was rarely taken seriously. Her father, Rudy Bennett had a slightly darker complexion. His dark eyes held a permanent uninterested look which made him hard to read. Whether he was joyous or annoyed, one could hardly tell. His bald head was his signature look, one Prudence seemed to take a liking to. They both had the right shaped head for it.

Prudence lived for her family’s opulence. She was the debutante they all dreamed of. Her once long brown hair had been traded for a low cut, blonde, finger wave that Bonnie obviously had to say looked good on her older sister. It was a bold move—one that Prudence was usually incapable of, and much to their mother’s dismay, one that Bonnie had a hand in. A few years ago, upon graduating high school and entering college, Prudence’s high school sweetheart broke up with her, leaving Prudence devastated. Naturally, as any good sister would do, Bonnie took her out and the two got shit-faced despite Bonnie being underaged. The two could always pass as twins to the untrained eye and many stolen ID cards later, Prudence caught on to her little sister’s antics.

On a whim, Prudence decided she wanted a hair cut and Bonnie took to the scissors. Using skills she picked up from the streets, Bonnie chopped and shaved Prudence’s hair, completing it with a polished, platinum blonde look. Abby nearly fainted the next day as the photos of her daughters flooded her Google Alerts. The famed Bennett girls were known for their trademark chocolate tresses, as was Abby. Prudence’s offense was truly an act of terror to Abby and while the world grew to accept Prudence, Abby never forgave Bonnie for being the driving force behind the change.

Bonnie always enjoyed a chance at sticking it to her mother.

Bonnie exited the car first. The string of camera flashes that came was inevitable and Bonnie gave a small smile from behind her dark sunglasses. Her eyes were always hidden. Today it was because of the massive hangover lingering behind her temporal lobe.

The flashes died down after the rest of the family exited the car and made their way up into the high rise where most of the Upper East Side’s finest met for lunch. The Richelieu was known for its fine dining experience. Bonnie knew it for its stuffiness. Constantly having to worry about cutlery placements, which order to use which fork, all to eat a fucking bowl of leaves and a thinly sliced piece of carcass.

At least the booze was good.

Already seated, the Mikaelson family watched as Rudy Bennett approached them. They were a picture of wealth. The family consisted of Mikael Mikaelson, the stupidest name Bonnie had ever heard, his wife, Esther, and their three children, Elijah, Niklaus—the second stupidest name—and Rebekah. Elijah, in Bonnie’s words, was a ‘snazzy motherfucker’. Niklaus, she had no real opinion for, but she could admit that surface level, he was pretty hot. Rebekah on the other hand was drop-dead gorgeous by society’s standards. She was the curviest white girl Bonnie had ever met, which wasn’t saying much since most of the white girls of the upper crest was calorie deprived.

The Mikaelson family accrued most of their fortunes through generational wealth. The late Ansel Mikaelson was a Scandinavian immigrant who became a financier for JP Morgan & Company, quickly climbing the ranks and earning company shares. Right before the great depression, he cashed in his shares and the Mikaelson family made a killing buying up foreclosed real estate properties for pennies on the dollar. Real shady shit, if you asked Bonnie. Today, their money made money and the Mikaelsons simply lived off the interest. Still, like every greedy bastard of the upper crest, they had their grubby paws in everything, including her sister, Prudence.

Bonnie did a quick scan of the table as they all stood to greet them. Niklaus was the tallest, she noticed his looming height instantly. Esther and Rebekah had their height as well, but they both barely cleared the gentlemen’s shoulders with the help of heels. Bonnie felt inferior for just a second. She was cursed with Sheila Bennett’s stature while her sister took after their mother and father with her medium build.

**“Mikael, Esther, my deepest apologies for being late.”** As her father spoke, her mother slowly cut her eyes over to Bonnie, silently informing everyone that she was the reason for their tardiness. Bonnie rolled her eyes and looked away, counting the seconds before this stuffy luncheon was over. After the greetings and formal introductions, they all sat across from one another. At the furthest end, Mikael sat at the head of the table while her father and Esther sat across from one another. Rebekah sat next to her mother and between Elijah, who both sat across from Abby and Prudence, respectively, which left Bonnie and Klaus sitting across from one another at the end of the table. Bonnie stared down at her phone’s screen, blocking the table out as she scrolled through her social media feed. Abby cleared her throat, which Bonnie ignored until she felt Prudence lean in to whisper in her ear.

**“Mother wants you to sit up straight, put your phone away, and for the love of God, please remove your sunglasses.”** Bonnie sighed and sat up straight, placing her phone in her lap after a quick glance at her call history. She shrugged out of her leather jacket and passed it to the maître d as they arrived to place menus before them. As she moved, she tried not to notice Niklaus sitting before her, watching intently. Bonnie removed her sunglasses and sat them on the table. She glanced up at her mother, leaning in so that she could meet her mother’s gaze.

**“Happy?”** Abby simply smiled and nodded.

**“There’s my green-eyed girl,”** Abby boasted. Bonnie rolled her eyes yet again. Her eyes were always the subject of conversation and partially why Bonnie kept them covered. In truth, green eyes were not hereditary in her family and no one knew why or how Bonnie got them. Her eyes made her stand out, much to Bonnie’s dismay, and her mother’s internalized colorism drove her to point them out whenever she got the chance. It drove Bonnie nuts, to the point that in high school she wore brown contacts to hide them. However, that plan backfired when her eyes appeared more hazel than brown. She couldn’t win.

-X-

Niklaus Mikaelson wasn’t one for the high-class shenanigans as he called it. His brother Elijah was to be betrothed to a family known for their media frenzy. Everyone knew the Bennetts, more specifically, everyone knew the youngest Bennett, Bonnie. The girl had a flair for the dramatics and the media adored her. It seemed as though she equally adored them since she was always the talk on gossip columns. What/who was she wearing, who is she dating, what hairstyle or eye color will she sport next? Beneath the beauty, Klaus suspected there was nothing more to her, which is why he was glad that his parents selected the eldest Bennett girl. Prudence was a woman of class and decorum and while she’s had her run-in with the paparazzi, it was nothing compared to that of her younger sister. The girl could learn a thing or two from Prudence.

**“I’m calling it now, the Bennetts will be late,”** Rebekah announced, storming into her brother’s room. Niklaus ignored his sister as he focused on his tie. He hated ties.

**“What makes you say that?”** Elijah strolled in, ever put-together in his tux, complete with a cumber-band. One glance at his younger brother’s struggles and Elijah was swooping in to save the day. **“Here, allow me,”** Elijah muttered as he unfurled Klaus’s tie and began anew.

**“Bonnie was out late last night with her pariah of a boyfriend, Marcel Gerard, and apparently Marcel was taken away from the night club in handcuffs.”** Niklaus rolled his eyes.

**“Are you sure this is the family you want to associate yourself with, Brother? You’ll be inheriting _that_ as a sister-in-law.” **The judgment in Klaus’s voice was ever-present.

**“Brother, you know as well as the rest of us that you can’t believe everything you read in the tabloids. I’m sure Miss Bennett has her own version of events. Let’s not catch judgment.”** Elijah was uninterested in idle gossip, however, his sister Rebekah thrived on it.

**“Say what you want about her but, the bitch is hot,”** Rebekah countered. **“And her sister is yummy. Are we sure Prudence isn’t gay? My radar is through the roof,”** Rebekah smirked at Elijah’s dis-ease.

Rebekah, much to her parent’s dismay, preferred the company of women rather than men. It was never a secret since she’s been caught with several of her ‘best friends’ at an early age, however, her parent’s desire to marry her off to a wealthy family had been put to the side. Despite the changing times, the upper crest of society still looked down on same-sex marriages in favor of ‘tradition,’ so finding their daughter a suitable wife was beginning to look like a fantasy. It wasn’t that lesbians didn’t exist, they simply weren’t ‘out’.

The Mikaelsons arrived on time and as Rebekah called it, The Bennetts were running a bit behind. Rudy at least had the decorum to call the restaurant and have the waiter announce that they’d be five minutes late due to ‘traffic’. The city always had traffic so that was never a viable excuse.

When the Bennett family arrived, the Mikaelsons stood to their feet. It was the first time Klaus and his siblings had ever met the Bennett sisters; in the past, Rudy and Abby always visited alone. The husband and wife appeared first; the pinnacle of black excellence. Next was Prudence who was ever-graceful. Her maroon sweater dress was accentuated with delicate lace at the sleeves and collars. Her six-inch heels put her at eye level with Elijah and her hair was meticulously finger-waved. Her make up was dark, accentuating her copper skin and her nails were professionally done with that, ‘stiletto tip’ as Rebekah called it.

The last to enter was Bonnie—who looked completely out of place and owned every bit of it. Her skin-tight dress hugged her curves and despite her short stature, the girl was all legs. Her stiletto clad feet put her just above five feet, five inches. Her expression was hard to read behind the large frame glasses she wore and as they took their seats, her mother instructed her to remove them. Klaus watched as Bonnie leaned in to make a smart-assed remark.

**“There’s my green-eyed girl.”** Klaus turned his attention back to Bonnie who sat across from him. The girl in the tabloids looked wild and crazy and always seemed to be having the time of her life. The girl before him was guarded and, if he was being completely honest, a bit miserable.He observed her as she studied her dark phone screen. His heart skipped several beats when her eyes shifted and met his—she’d caught him staring. He was used to women looking away shyly when they noticed him staring, instead, she stared boldly without wavering. The longer they held one another’s gaze, Niklaus found himself captivated.

Her eyes were really as green as Hollywood claimed.


	2. Midnight, The Stars and You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back for more, eh? Thank you for returning. I do not take it for granted that out of hundreds of Bonnie stories, you clicked on mine and decided to stay awhile. The song that’s playing during the Waltz is also the chapter title. The artist is Al Bowlly/Ray Noble if you want to listen. Also, there are several crude jokes the characters make throughout the story that shouldn’t be taken too seriously or out of context. I began writing this story back in December when the social climate was slightly different from what is now. Keep in mind that both Bonnie and myself are women of color so her jokes are a bit jaded in that aspect. That said, here’s more…

_“Who wants that hero love that saves the day, anyway? Cliché…”_

-X-

Elijah was everything Prudence thought she wanted, Bonnie surmised. He was just as opulent as she and they both had an air of debonair about them. Bonnie could admit that he looked good on her sister’s arm, however, Bonnie knew her sister better than anyone. The casual glances Prudence gave Rebekah each time the girl moved told Bonnie everything she needed to know. Elijah was a smart, educated choice. Rebekah, however, was what Prudence desired and it only took Bonnie less than five minutes to reach that conclusion.

While Bonnie watched her sister and Rebekah, Klaus watched Bonnie. It was easy to assume that the infamous Bennett rebel was always lost in her own world, yet, as he watched Bonnie, he noticed how observant she was. Not many things got by her and if the rumors were right about the late Sheila Bennett, that was where Bonnie got it from. Sheila was heralded for her astuteness and—say what you want—her granddaughter was just like her.

Rebekah stood to excuse herself and Bonnie smirked when she caught Prudence’s downcast eyes staring at Rebekah’s posterior. Bonnie used that moment to excuse herself as well, offering to walk with Rebekah before she could leave. Once inside the restroom, Bonnie hoisted herself onto the sink counter, ignoring the looks of two older women exiting the facilities. Rebekah stared in disbelief for her crass attitude, which Bonnie ignored.

**“She likes you,”** Bonnie announced as she fished through her chain-link clutch. She pulled out a small vape pen and indulged in a few puffs—she couldn’t survive the rest of this day without some form of inhibitor. Rebekah stared before speaking up, in awe of Bonnie’s tenacity.

**“Who likes me?”**

_So she’s going to play it dumb, cool,_ Bonnie thought.

**“Pru,”** Bonnie answered while gaging Rebekah’s reaction. Instead of answering, Rebekah disappeared into a stall leaving Bonnie to smoke freely. The effects of the herbs wasted no time taking effect.

**“She’s nice,”** Rebekah called from the other side of the stall. **“Really pretty, my brother is lucky to have her interest.”** Bonnie chuckled under her breath and shook her head. Everyone always took her for a fool. She waited until Rebekah exited the stall and watched as the young blonde washed her hands and proceeded to make sure everything on her was in place.

**“You like her too,”** Bonnie said, smiling when Rebekah’s hand fumbled slightly as she tugged at her extensions. **“You know what I mean, Rebekah. Don’t try it,”** Bonnie knew Rebekah would try to squeeze out of admitting her attraction to her sister. Rebekah’s eyes met Bonnie’s in the mirror and the two girls silently stared at one another before Rebekah visibly dropped all pretenses.

**“She seems sweet from what I can tell,”** Rebekah admitted. Bonnie took a drag from her vape pen, humming her approval.

**“Very,”** Bonnie agreed with a firm tone. She was fiercely protective of her sister and would cut down anyone that hurt her, despite their differences. **“I know how this will inevitably go so all I have to say is, be good to her,”** Bonnie said. **“Because if not,”** Bonnie slid down off the counter and moved to close the space between them. Though Rebekah had her by an inch, Bonnie’s presence loomed over her. **“I will turn into the bitch everyone thinks I am.”** Bonnie gave her a sweet smile that almost erased the preceding threat and exited the bathroom, leaving Rebekah to stew. As she began to make her way back to their table, her phone vibrated and without hesitation, Bonnie quickly checked to see if it was the call she’d been anticipating all morning.

It was.

**“Hey, Baby!”** Marcel Gerard could hear the smile in his girlfriend’s voice and it inflicted a smile of his own. Her excitement was contagious.

**“Hey Toots, did you make it home safe?”** Bonnie smiled at his concern.

**“I did, Thierry made sure I got home. How is everything? How long do they plan on keeping you? Do you need me to come down there?”** Bonnie flooded him with questions and Marcel smiled. It felt good to be on the receiving end of Bonnie’s loyalty. **“I have bail money,”** she teased. Marcel laughed.

**“Hey, don’t worry about me, I’ll get myself out,”** he assured. **“Thing is, I have to sit until Tuesday. Monday’s a holiday.”** Bonnie’s chest twisted with disappointment. She hadn’t thought about that.

**“Oh no, babe. I’m so sorry.”**

**“Just make sure you’re there waiting on me when I get out, okay? As soon as I make bail, I’m free.”** Bonnie smiled, teeming with excitement.

**“I suppose I can survive a weekend without you,”** she teased. Due to limited time, the call was cut short and Bonnie leaned against the wall, staring down at her phone with a look of longing.When she looked up, she found Niklaus directly in front of her, studying her. Startled, she jumped slightly with a hand on her chest.

**“Did I take your breath away?”** Klaus teased. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

**“Hardly,”** she bit back, earning a grin from him. She didn’t find him funny, only arrogant. As Bonnie turned to leave, he called out from behind.

**“Was he the reason you had us all waiting earlier?”** Bonnie spun around so quickly, her hair lagged in following her, taking its sweet time falling on the opposite shoulder.

  
 **“What did you say to me?”** Klaus wasn’t sure why he wanted to get a rise out of the young girl but he did. Bonnie’s eyes narrowed into thin slits as she took a tentative step towards the arrogant bastard before her. He grinned in delight of her anger and continued.

**“Bonnie Bennett’s Beau Has Been Hauled Off To Jail Yet Again, or whatever the headline stated.”** Bonnie glared at him with a raised brow.

**“If you think you know a damn thing about me based on some headline, get a clue, dip-shit,”** Bonnie scoffed as she sized him up with a look of disgust. **“And what, you think you’d be a better candidate?”** Klaus shrugged nonchalantly.

**“Anything’s better than… that,”** he commented. **“Your family has worked hard for their status. Don’t destroy it.”** Bonnie couldn’t believe the nerve of this asshole. She laughed at the absurdity.

**“If I wanted to hear from an asshole, I’d fart. And for the record, I’m not interested in you or any of you rich white assholes that think you know a damn thing about me. Who the fuck do you think you are? You probably have some kind of weird fetish, don’t you?”** When he raised his brows, she continued with a small smirk. **“You want me to be your little slave girl?”** Bonnie asked in a ‘mammy’ voice. All traces of a smirk left her face. **“Fuck you, I’ll pass!”** Bonnie spat. The humor that was once in his eyes died quickly as if someone splashed cold water over his entire body.

**“Wait,”** he grimaced. **“That’s not—”** Bonnie held up her hand and cut him off.

**“Doesn’t feel good to be judged, does it?”** She didn’t spare him a glance as she walked off back to their table, leaving a perplexed Klaus in her wake.

-X-

**_Several Weeks Later_ **

There was something about the Bennett girl that invoked more emotions from Klaus than he cared to admit. In truth, he didn’t know what possessed him to come across so recklessly during their first encounter, but even he could admit that he was out of line. Since their family’s luncheon, he’s yet to run into her, and other than the numerous headlines that flooded his newsfeed, he hadn’t heard much about her. The first week after the luncheon, the media frenzy surrounding her was the most active. Bonnie’s boyfriend was involved in other illegal activities that caught up to him and while he was expected to be released after Labor Day, he was now being held without bond. It was a pity, Klaus thought, for Bonnie to waste her time with such a lowlife scoundrel with no purpose and no future. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much. Perhaps it was the fact that given their brief encounter, he could tell there was more to the Bennett girl than meets the eye. What she showed the world and what he saw during their brief encounter contradicted one another and for the life of him, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by her.

**_“At this rate, the girl is headed for the graveyard or someone’s prison,”_ ** _his mother tsked when the news broke about Marcel Gerard’s nefarious affairs._

**_“The company she keeps leaves much to be desired,”_ ** _Mikael voiced._ **_“Though her sister Prudence is quite the catch. One out of two isn’t so bad,”_ ** _he added. Since Bonnie not-so-elegantly put him in his place, the things that were said about her didn’t seem to sit well with Niklaus anymore; and he was one of the ones saying them not too long ago!_

**“Do you think Bonnie will be at the ball?”** Rebekah asked as she came into the room. Each October, the Mikaelsons threw their notorious masquerade. Everybody who’s anybody came from miles around to attend. Celebrities and socialites alike all attended by invite only and it was agreed upon them that no photos were to be taken. It was truly a night where everyone could let their hair down without the prying eyes of the world outside.

**“If Miss Abby has her way then yes,”** Elijah chimed in. **“Prudence tells me she is to attend.”** Elijah’s eyes met Niklaus’s as he spoke, who pretended to be uninterested. Tonight would also be the night Elijah officially proposed to Prudence. In the weeks since their first meeting, the two have been on numerous dates and Prudence has proven to be, as his father put it, quite the catch.

**“Let’s just hope she doesn’t fuck things up then,”** Klaus muttered. Wherever Bonnie went, chaos was sure to follow. In past years, Bonnie had either declined her invitation or was simply too young to attend. He wasn’t exactly sure what her age was, but Klaus estimated that she wasn’t far behind Prudence who was two years his junior.

**“I’m sure it’ll be a night we will all remember, fondly,”** Rebekah chimed dreamily.

How right she’d be.

-X-

Bonnie had her qualms about high society traditions but she had to say, any chance she got to dress up and put on a mask was a good time for her. It was the night of the masquerade ball and while she hated most of the people in attendance, she was excited to bring along her best friend, Katherine Pierce. Bonnie was shocked, to say the least, to get her own formal invitation. In the past, she and her sister served as their parents' plus one and since she was underaged for most of her life, Abby never included her. Last year was the first year Abby considered it and after finally earning a ‘yes’, Bonnie lost interest and declined.

Bonnie studied her dress in the mirror. While her mother and sister opted for conservative, floor-length evening gowns, complete with a train, Bonnie settled for something a bit more provocative. Her deep red dress came equipped with a plunging neckline, a cinched waist, and a double-split that showcased her legs. The sleeves of the dress came down to her wrists and elongated her arms, making her appear taller than five feet. Her six-inch heels strapped around her ankles, adding to her height, and her hair was worn bone straight, thanks to Katherine. The skirt of her dress flared as she walked and Bonnie almost found herself feeling like a princess.

Katherine wore a black dress that shimmered in the light. It hugged all of her curves and while it wasn’t as dramatic as Bonnie’s it certainly commanded attention. Her hair was bone straight as well which was completely opposite of her signature curls. The mask Bonnie wore was one she’d purchased during vacation in Venice the previous summer and was delighted that she was able to finally wear it. It was gold with red rubies that sparkled along the edges with a satin red ribbon to tie in the back. Katherine’s mask matched her dress with obsidian sparkles and a silver ribbon tied neatly.

**“Are you girls ready?”** Abby appeared at Bonnie’s door. Upon seeing the dress on the hanger, Abby immediately disapproved, however, she had to admit that though it wasn’t her first pick, it fit her daughter well. Bonnie barely registered the small look of approval on Abby’s face before it was vacated.

**“You two look amazing,”** Rudy commented from where he stood behind his wife. Both girls offered a smile, thanking him in unison. Bonnie smirked at Katherine before exiting the room. Outside, a stretch limo awaited them and Rudy, along with the driver, helped all four ladies inside. Pretty soon, they were en-route to the largest gala their city has seen since The Met.

_The door opened_ and immediately, the cameras began flashing before anyone could see who arrived. Abby was the first to exit and the crowd began to cheer for what was to come. Abby led the precession with her golden gown and matching mask, followed by Rudy with his all-white gold-encrusted suit. With their arms linked, they made their way down the red carpet. Bonnie glanced at Prudence who seemed to be hesitant to exit, but before Bonnie could swoop in and save the day, Katherine took her by the hand and slid towards the door. She admired her sister from afar in her stunning yellow gown. Yellow was always a good look on Prudence and coupled with the sapphires in her mask, Prudence was truly a sight to behold.

Bonnie chuckled as the two girls made their way down the walk and shook her head. **“Well, shit. To hell with me, then,”** she murmured under her breath jokingly and exited the car last. She fought against rolling her eyes as the crowd ‘ooh’d’ at her dress and with confidence, she wrapped up the precession allowing herself to enjoy the attention of the piranhas she spent most of her life running from.

From where he stood, Klaus could hear the roar of the crowds outside and came to one conclusion. **“The Bennetts are here,”** he murmured to his brother before ordering a drink from the bar. Elijah chuckled, knowing that his brother was right. In the past month, he’d gotten used to the fanfare that followed the family fairly quickly. He often wondered how they managed to deal with it their entire lives. Having money was one thing but fame was a beast he couldn’t come to grips with.

**“Indeed you are correct,”** Elijah stated, smiling towards the door. He watched as the family of four entered the facilities and led the way to the foot of the stairs where they began to descend. **“It looks like Miss Bonnie is not in attendance…”** Elijah stated, noting that instead of Bonnie, there was an unfamiliar woman in their company. No sooner than the words left his lips, Bonnie appeared at the top of the grand staircase, just as the rest of her family made it to the bottom.

**“Or, perhaps I spoke too soon,”** Elijah corrected. At his brother’s words, Klaus glanced up just in time to see Bonnie begin her descent down the staircase. His drink barely made its way down as he ogled the youngest Bennett. From where he stood, he had the perfect view of her long brown legs each time they peeked from under the dress. He had to admit, the girl knew how to command attention.

As she descended the stairs, Bonnie’s eyes met Niklaus’s but rather than acknowledge him, she looked straight through him, choosing to smile at Elijah instead. Rather than follow the path of her family, Bonnie cut to the left of the staircase where the Mikaelson brothers stood. Everyone’s eyes naturally followed.

**“Elijah,”** Bonnie greeted with a soft voice and a small smile. Elijah smiled and bowed in her presence.

**“Miss Bennett,”** he greeted, offering his helping hand. Bonnie delicately placed her hand in his.

**“It’s so nice to see _you_ again,” **she quipped as she led Elijah away, ignoring Niklaus completely. Despite her best wishes, Bonnie stole a glance behind her to find Klaus staring after her with a look of scrutiny. She flashed a bright smile before turning her gaze to the front, navigating the crowd with her future brother-in-law on her arm. Niklaus polished off the contents of his glass and handed it to a server as they passed, shaking his head at Bonnie’s theatrical entrance.

This was bound to be a long night.

-X-

The Waltz was Niklaus’s favorite part of the night. It was when he was able to dance with all of the city’s most eligible bachelorettes and even a few of the married ones. His date tonight was the highly coveted Caroline Forbes. While every male sought after her, she only had eyes for Niklaus Mikaelson. Unluckily for her, Caroline’s parents, William and Elizabeth Forbes, were in the process of aligning their family with Richard and Carol Lockwood. Klaus could admit that he was once amongst Caroline’s most ardent suitors. However, once he got to know her, he realized there was not much under the surface where she was concerned and was happy when it was announced that she and Tyler would soon be betrothed. Still, she managed to weasel her way in as his date for tonight, claiming that Tyler had ‘prior engagements’. Caroline was perfect on paper but Klaus didn’t want that. He’d grown up with ‘perfect’ and could attest that after so many years, perfection was boring.

As fate would have it, he was paired with the most imperfect person at the ball, Bonnie Bennett. The girl lived her life with reckless abandon and while he too was a rebel, even he had his limits.

As the two of them stood in front of one another, Klaus regarded Bonnie with a look, wondering if the girl even knew how to Waltz. Bonnie rolled her eyes and, as if she could read his mind, spoke up. **“Still judging me, I see,”** she voiced. Klaus raised a brow of confusion.

**“How on earth can you assume that?”** He asked incredulously. He wondered if the girl thrived on picking fights. How can one person be so infuriatingly confrontational?

**“You’re wondering if I know how to Waltz,”** Bonnie assumed accurately. A scowl darkened his features and he wondered if he was irritated because she’d read right through him or if she was just irritating in general.

**“Can you?”** Bonnie smirked at his question and took a step closer to him. His breath caressed her forehead as he stared down at her. She grabbed his hands and took the dominant stance in the Waltz.

**“How about you follow _my_ lead and find out,” **she challenged.

Not only did Bonnie take the ‘male’ lead and guided them along the dance floor, but she also guided Klaus whenever he missed a step, correcting him effortlessly without missing a beat. He felt utterly ridiculous each time she spun him around, catching him in her slender arms. The mirth in her eyes was infectious and Klaus found himself chuckling at her unorthodox behavior. The song finished and a round of applause ushered them back into the world around them.

**“For the record, I can perform much better than what just took place,”** Klaus said once the applause died down.

**“I believe you,”** Bonnie assured. Her words eased some of his embarrassment. **“You were too focused on trying to figure me out rather than paying attention to where you were stepping.”** Klaus shook his head, the embarrassment resurfaced.

**“I wasn’t trying to figure you out,”** he defied.

**“Yes, you were,”** she countered. She’s been around enough judgmental people to know when someone was trying to figure out all that was ‘Bonnie Bennett’.

**“Well, since you know so much, am I ever going to find out?”** Bonnie noticed a head of blonde hair walking towards them and took a step back from Niklaus who still held her hand.

With a smirk, she replied, **“I thought you weren’t trying to figure me out?”** Before he could respond, Caroline appeared to the side of them. Bonnie turned to look at the girl and offered a fake smile before turning to walk off.

**“May I have this dance, Sir?”** Caroline cut in. Klaus distractedly nodded, his eyes never leaving Bonnie as he took Caroline’s hand and led them into the next song.

_Who is Bonnie Bennett?_

-X-

Bonnie and Katherine sat at the bar with drinks in hand as they watched Niklaus dance with Caroline. Katherine sneered as Caroline stared up at Klaus with obvious stars in her eyes, Bonnie simply chuckled.

**“She’s always in the way,”** Katherine complained. Bonnie couldn’t figure out why Katherine hated Caroline so much, but even Bonnie could admit that the ‘blonde bombshell’ wasn’t her favorite person. It had nothing to do with her and everything to do with how the tabloids pitted both women against each other. Caroline was everything Bonnie was not and no one ever let Bonnie forget it.

Caroline Forbes was the daughter that every mother dreamed of having. She was an advocate for animal rights, she volunteered in the city’s soup kitchen every third Saturday of the month, she even fostered abused dogs and rehabilitated them into good homes. When she wasn’t doing that, she was an event planner for celebrities and other high rollers. Her company, Forbes Events came highly recommended, and naturally, she helped to plan the masquerade currently in progress.

**“She really should learn the art of ‘sitting the fuck down’,”** Bonnie teased, earning a snicker from Katherine. Bonnie watched the couple danced effortlessly while she sipped her drink. Katherine gave her a knowing smirk and without sparing her a glance, Bonnie lifted her middle finger. **“Sit on it and rotate, Pierce.”** Katherine guffawed.

**“You two looked good out there,”** she commented. **“Better than what’s out there now,”** Bonnie laughed at her friend's relentlessness.

**“Come on, give Barbie a break,”** Bonnie said with fake sympathy. Katherine giggled once again and shrugged.

**“This song is almost over, are you going back out there?”** Katherine’s eyes slid over to a handsome guy with bright blue eyes who happened to be staring straight at her. Bonnie caught the interaction immediately and hefted her chin towards him.

**“No, I think I’ll sit this one out,”** she declined, then added, **“you better grab him before someone else does,”** Bonnie warned, noticing a group of girls staring in his direction. Katherine stood up quickly and smoothed the invisible wrinkles from her dress. She held her glass out to Bonnie who took it without hesitation.

**“I don’t have to be told twice,”** Katherine said as she sauntered over to the guy in question. Bonnie discarded both glasses on the table and stood to her feet. Her eyes flitted over to Klaus and was pleased to find him staring straight at her. She smirked in his direction and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before leaving the bar.

Fully aware that he was following her, she made her way up a flight of stairs. She held the front of her dress, cautious of tripping, and walked until she found one of the many private balconies. Upon her arrival, a couple deeply involved in a kiss broke apart and hurried away without explanation. Bonnie chuckled and reached under her dress, fishing for the vape pen stashed within the garter belt she wore.

**“Are you here to apologize to me, finally?”** She didn’t have to look back to sense that he was standing behind her. Klaus smiled at her brazenness and shook his head.

**“How do you keep doing that?”** Klaus prided himself with being an expert at reading people but Bonnie had him beat. She seemed to know what you were going to say or do before you knew. He watched as she took a few puffs of her pen before turning to face him. The light from inside lit her face while the moon above cast a halo over her head and shoulders.

Pictures didn’t do a damn thing for her.

**“Call it a hunch,”** she stated offhandedly. She moved out of the way of the light and stood towards the darker end of the balcony. Klaus found himself following as if he had fallen within her gravitational pull and didn’t have a choice in the matter.

**“I do owe you an apology,”** Klaus began. He watched as Bonnie exhaled a plume of smoke over her head and Klaus found that he couldn’t smell whatever it was she was smoking.

**“For what exactly,”** she asked. **“You’ve offended me each time I’ve seen you, thus far.”** Though her tone was accusatory, the gleam in her eyes was mischievous.

**“If I recall correctly you accused me of wanting to enslave you,”** Klaus recollected. **“That’s as offensive as it gets, Love.”** Bonnie grinned and shook her head.

**“Not as offensive as being enslaved, Good Sir,”** she countered. A smile remained on her lips as she recalled their first interaction. The look on his face was priceless as she left him to stew in his own shit.

**“You like backing people into corners, don’t you?”**

**“There you go judging again,”** Bonnie warned. Klaus shook his head.

**“No, no, not judging, observing,”** he corrected. Bonnie regarded him for a moment before sliding her leg out from under her dress. He watched without shame as she clipped her vape pen onto her garter belt and slid her leg back under the dress. **“You’re a dancer,”** he pointed out. At his revelation, Bonnie’s head shot up and a brow raised on her forehead. **“Your calves gave it away,”** he explained. **“That and the way you danced earlier.”**

**“ _Was_. I don’t dance much anymore,”** Bonnie clarified. She reached up and gathered her hair to the shoulder opposite of him, giving him a nice side profile. She leaned against the balcony with her hands interlocked in front of her and stared down at the city with a contemplative look.

**“Why not?”** From what he could tell, she was good at it. Silence befell them and for a moment, Klaus thought she ended the conversation without telling him.

**“You still haven’t apologized,”** she teased, choosing to deflect rather than answer his previous question. He was about to protest before realizing that she was right.

**“Will you accept my official apology for offending you with my crass assumptions?”** Bonnie smiled and turned to face him fully.

**“Only if you promise not to enslave me.”** She laughed when he rolled his eyes. **“I accept your apology, for now. Though, I’m sure you’ll find another way to step on my toes in the future.”**

**“Thank you for the vote of confidence,”** he remarked sarcastically, though he somehow knew he would end up proving her right. He stepped closer to her and peered down at her small frame. Bonnie craned her neck to stare up at him, mesmerized by his height and the intensity of his bright blue eyes. The words she had on the tip of her tongue was swallowed up by their close proximity. The two of them stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. The song in the background switched and Klaus smiled before speaking up, **“Now, may I properly lead you in this dance?”** He extended his hand and smiled when she cautiously accepted. 

The balcony was just big enough for them to move without restriction. Her delicate hand never left his shoulder as he guided their steps. Bonnie smiled as she spun on her heels and let out a hearty chuckle when he pulled her back to him. She landed against his chest with a soft thud and grinned when he began waltzing with his chest pressed against her back. Without missing a step, Bonnie followed his lead.

**“Smooth,”** she complimented and Klaus couldn’t stop the smile that graced his lips. **“What are you trying to figure out now?”** She asked after a moment of silence. Klaus smiled.

**“Your age,”** he answered. It was only one of the things he wanted to know.

**“You want to make sure you’re not attracted to a child,”** she surmised. He could only shake his head at her tenacity.

**“Who said I was attracted to you?”** Klaus watched as she spun around to face him, never missing a beat. Her eyes glimmered with amusement and so did Klaus’s.

**“A woman knows,”** Bonnie assured. **“Plus, your eyes say it all.”** At some point during their dancing, their pace picked up to the point where they were practically tangoing. **“I’m twenty,”** Bonnie finally answered, watching the parts of his face not covered by his mask. When Niklaus took too long to answer, Bonnie spoke up. **“Is that a problem for you?”**

**“No,”** he answered right away. While she couldn’t legally buy herself a drink yet, he was sure she had ways around that. From what he’s seen, she was quite resourceful.

**“How old are you,”** she found herself asking. She rarely asked that question because she rarely cared.

**“Twenty-five,”** he told her as their dancing slowed to a stop. His arms snaked around her waist and encompassed her lower back before dipping her low to the ground with a grin. Bonnie smirked up at him and held on to his shoulders as he lifted her to stand on her feet. He stepped back and bowed before her, to which she curtsied.

A clock began to chime and Bonnie jumped away from him, startled by the tintinnabulation. The tolls vibrated against her chest and Bonnie glanced up to notice that they were directly underneath the massive timepiece. Klaus chuckled at her reaction and pulled her closer. Bonnie glided over to him effortlessly.

**“May I?”** He asked as he reached for the ribbon that held her mask in place. At the stroke of midnight, it was tradition to unveil your dance partner by removing their mask, though Klaus knew exactly who she was. Bonnie turned around and bit her lip as Klaus tugged on the strings of her mask. With one pull, the ribbon came undone and the mask was lifted away from her face. The night air wafted against her skin and Bonnie closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she turned, she found that Klaus had already unmasked himself and was staring down at her.

From where she stood, the stars in the sky twinkled against its dark background and the moon above her illuminated his face with the right amount of glow. She felt as though she was in a movie that had just reached its climax.

**“Now you know who I am,”** she said softly. Klaus grabbed her hands and held them to his chest, pressing his forehead against hers.

**“Do I?”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	3. Twin Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I did not intend to be away for so long. I've had multiple deaths happen back to back which left me uninspired and grief-stricken. I hope life has been kinder to you and I pray you all survive the latter part of 2020; I really mean that. If you managed to survive this year without losing someone you love, it's a blessing and at this point, a miracle.
> 
> Anywho, this chapter was pre-written which is why I will only be updating this today. I'm still trying to get back into writing but it's hard to even focus, honestly. Still, this is my outlet so I'm trying to get over this hurdle. Please let me know what you think. Reviews really keep me going and it's just about all I have lol. Thank you for your prolonged support. If you are reading my other stories, thank you and I will try to update as soon as I can.
> 
> Side Note: As you read the lyrics and listen to the songs provided, try not to look at them from a gender-specific view.

_“Hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night…”_

-X-

The morning after the masquerade, Bonnie sat on Prudence’s bed, fawning over the largest engagement ring she’d ever seen. Prudence radiated happiness and Bonnie couldn’t have been happier for her sister, though, she wondered in the back of her mind how long Prudence would keep up with the pretenses. Despite her tenacity, Bonnie knew when to shut her mouth—sometimes. The next several weeks were spent planning her sister’s engagement party which would take place a week before Thanksgiving. Rich people always found a way to throw a party, but she had to admit that the week before Thanksgiving was the perfect time to do anything within the city. The week after would be filled with parades, block parties, and Turkey-Day feasts, which was fun if you enjoyed the cluster-fuck of people that descended upon the city during that time. Bonnie wasn’t really sure what an engagement party entailed but she was actually looking forward to its shallowness. 

**“Bonnie, you never told us how it went the night of the ball,”** Prudence asked at breakfast one Friday morning. Bonnie glanced up from her mug of tea to find three pairs of eyes staring back at her. She fought the blush that surfaced as she recalled that night and hid behind her mug.

**“It was nice,”** she murmured as she sipped her tea. **“It felt good to dance again,”** she answered vaguely. Her parents smiled and nodded, glad to hear that their baby girl enjoyed herself.

**“That’s fantastic, Sweetie,”** Abby responded genuinely. Bonnie almost felt it. Rather than giving her mother a hard time, Bonnie simply offered a small smile which Abby returned. In the weeks since the ball, her family noticed that her mood swings were few and far between. Bonnie blamed it on the medication but Prudence had her suspicions. According to Katherine, her sister had caught someone’s eye but Bonnie was being tight-lipped with the details.

**“So, what should I expect at this party?”** Bonnie asked, changing the subject on purpose. **“What do you do at an engagement party? Do I have to put on pants?”** Bonnie joked. Rudy chuckled before speaking up.

**“Basically, it’s a party to gather everyone together to celebrate Prudence’s engagement and a time for both sides of the family to get to know one another.”** Bonnie ignored the excitement in her chest.

**“It’s also where I announce who I plan to have as my maid of honor and bridesmaids. Elijah will do the same.”** Bonnie smirked as the opportunity for a joke presented himself.

**“He’s going to announce his bridesmaids as well? How precious.”** Prudence giggled and rolled her eyes. 

**“You never disappoint, Bennett.”** Bonnie smiled at her sister and raised a glass of cranberry juice to her lips, wishing it was spiked with champagne.

**“We’ll be hosting the party at our home in The Hamptons,”** Abby offered. **“The grounds are large enough to accommodate everyone. We expect everyone to be there by nine and by ten, brunch will be served. Bonnie, would you like to give the toast?”** Bonnie glared at her mother, offended that she would even ask. **“It was just a suggestion, Bonnie. I only wanted to include you,”** her mother added quickly.

As quickly as her anger surfaced, Bonnie calmed, trying not to snap unnecessarily, **“Sorry,”** she apologized. **“No thank you, I’ve never been one for public speaking.”**

**“It’s okay, dear,”** Rudy intervened.

_After breakfast_ , Abby followed Prudence to the salon where the hired estheticians awaited them. As was tradition, the two women loved getting their nails done and enjoyed not having to leave their home to do so. Bonnie preferred to have her nails done in the most ‘unsavory’ part of town; something about it being black-owned. 

**“So,”** Abby began. **“Who has gotten into your sister?”** Prudence grinned and shrugged her petite shoulders.

**“That’s what I’d like to know. Katherine said that she caught someone’s attention at the ball but the two of them are being tight-lipped about it.”** Prudence grinned.

**“Maybe some time away from Marcel is good for her. That boy is the bane of my existence.”** It was easy to blame Bonnie’s changes on Marcel. The boy had come into her life when Bonnie was the most vulnerable and because of it, Abby no longer recognized her baby girl. **“When is he getting out?”** Prudence shrugged yet again.

**“No one knows. Apparently, it’s bad this time.”** Since Marcel’s arrest, Bonnie hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone. Bonnie was naturally secretive, even more so when things weren’t going her way. **“I hope she’s okay. I know you don’t like him mom but, Marcel really does care about her, even if he can’t take care of her the way that we can,”** Prudence stated softly.

**“He can’t take care of her at all! The boy doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. His rap sheet is a mile long and he has no formal education. A waste,”** Abby snarled.

**“But he’s sweet and he loves her, doesn’t that account for something?”** Prudence asked in her sister’s defense. Abby scoffed and shook her head.

**“No! Love doesn’t pay the bills, Prudie. Remember that,”** Abby said, as the nail technician snipped way at her cuticles. Prudence sighed and stared into space, hoping that happiness found her sister as it did her.

-X-

Bonnie sat at her favorite spot in Central Park and cried. Whenever she was feeling down, she went for a run through the park and allowed herself to get lost—fifty city blocks made it easy to do so. She hadn’t heard from Marcel in almost a month and when she did, he had called to break up with her. His claim? He didn’t know when he would be released and he didn’t want her ‘waiting around’ for him. She was crushed, hurt, and angry. He had proven everyone right and she resented him for it. The moment her mother heard about this, she would undoubtedly rub it in her face. Images of the disapproving look on Abby’s face flooded her mind and Bonnie forced herself to sober up. Her mother told her that Marcel would do nothing but bring about tears and she would rather cut off her own leg than to ever prove Abby Bennett right.

As if on cue, her phone rang. It was Prudence. Bonnie took a deep breath and exhaled before answering on the third ring. **“Hey girlie! What’s shakin’?”** Prudence smiled at her sister’s cheery tone before realization set in.

**“Cut the shit, what’s wrong?”** Though Prudence lived ninety percent of her time in her own bubble, the other ten percent revolved around her younger sister. 

**“What are you talking about?”** Bonnie deflected. Of all times for Prudence to be receptive, now was not the time.

**“You usually answer the phone with that flat ass voice of yours, ‘go ahead’, but now you sound too happy which means you’ve been crying and don’t want me to know. Now, what’s wrong?”** Even as she asked, Prudence suspected that Marcel was involved. He was the only person Prudence knew could get a rise out of Bonnie, other than Abby, of course. 

**“I’ll tell you later,”** Bonnie promised. If she spoke about it, she’d start bawling all over again. **“What’s up? Why’d you call?”** Prudence was quiet for a while before she answered. She was worried about her sister and wanted to fix all of her problems but Bonnie had trouble letting people in.

**“I called to invite you to lunch. Elijah will be there but I swear, you won’t be the third wheel. He plans to invite Niklaus if you agree to come.”** Prudence knew that honesty was the best policy when it came to Bonnie. If Bonnie ever felt like she was being walked into a trap, good or bad, she’d react negatively.

**“You’re not trying to set me up or anything, are you? His brother is an arrogant toad,”** Bonnie stated, though, the thought of being in Niklaus’s company didn’t annoy her like she hoped it would.

**“If you’d rather it be the three of us, I understand. I just figured you’d want someone there as a buffer.”** The night of the ball resurfaced in Bonnie’s memories and she found herself smiling despite her better judgment.

**“Fine, but you’re paying for my meal and my drinks, and I plan to drink a lot.”** She needed it.

**“It’s a date!”** Prudence grinned and hung up with Bonnie before calling Elijah to deliver the news.

**“She’s coming!”**

-X-

**“Tell me again why you had me strong-arm my fiancé into bringing her sister along with her on our lunch date?”** Elijah glanced up at his brother with a raised brow. Niklaus smiled at his brother and shrugged his shoulders innocently.

**“I wanted to see her,”** he responded with a grin. Elijah rolled his eyes and shook his head.

**“Couldn’t you have called her and arranged your own lunch date with her?”** Klaus frowned at the logic behind such a simple task.

**“That would be too easy,”** he frowned, then admitted, **“also, I don’t have her number.”**

**“Ah, I see.”** Elijah studied his brother and smiled. **“Did Miss Bennett enchant you, by chance?”** Niklaus scoffed with a shake of his head. 

**“Definitely not, but she makes for interesting company,”** Niklaus countered, but Elijah knew better. **“Once I unearth all of her flaws, I’ll quickly lose interest, like I inevitably do.”** His brother had a pattern, Elijah noticed. He’d lose himself in a woman fairly quickly until he found what he deemed as a ‘deal-breaker’ and just as quickly as he became interested, he lost it.

**“I’m sure you’ve found several in Miss Bennett already,”** Elijah commented. Bonnie was not the type of woman his brother typically sought after. She was young, for one, she carried herself with reckless abandon, and from what Klaus tells him, she was rude. Despite not having much one on one time with the young girl, Elijah was fond of her. Everyone considered her to be the proverbial fly in the milk, but Elijah thought her to be a breath of fresh air to a group of stale lungs.

**“Several,”** Klaus confirmed.

**“Yet, they haven’t deterred you,”** Elijah pointed out. Klaus paused at his brother’s revelation.

**“Not yet, they haven’t.”** Niklaus found himself agreeing and Elijah grinned. Though their relationship was inchoate, Elijah could tell that Bonnie had her hooks in his brother and it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

**“She is young, indeed. Nevertheless, I can assure you that Miss Bennett is every bit of a grown-ass woman,”** Elijah informed him. **“That, coupled with her youth makes her a formidable force that not everyone can handle. Tread lightly, brother,”** he warned. Though from the looks of things, his brother was already trapped in her orbit. Elijah had been in the company of women twice Bonnie’s age yet, there was an air about her that none of them were able to possess and he looked forward to the journey his brother was about to partake in.

_True to her word,_ Prudence and Bonnie arrived at the restaurant at the exact moment as Elijah and Niklaus. To make sure Bonnie was prompt, Prudence told her the wrong time, telling her that lunch was to begin thirty minutes before it was actually scheduled. Bonnie didn’t seem to appreciate the lie but she didn’t put up a fuss.

Niklaus found himself drinking in Bonnie’s features. Today she wore a long, vibrantly green sweater dress that exposed one shoulder. Her hair was straightened and hung past her shoulders and down her back. Her brown skin shimmered with a ‘freshly showered’ dew in the light and Klaus couldn’t help but stare at her. One glance at her chest also told him that the air in the facilities was a bit too cold. His eyes met hers and he could tell she had caught him staring inappropriately. Klaus expected her to give him a dirty look but instead, she smirked and looked away with a smile on her painted red lips.

**“Mikaelson, Party of 2,”** The hostess called out. Klaus smiled at the confusion on everyone’s face and turned to Elijah and Prudence.

**“Your table awaits you,”** he grinned, linking his arm with Bonnie’s before she could step away from him. Bonnie regarded Klaus with suspicion before her gaze slid over to Prudence and Elijah.

**“Bonnie, I assure you, I have no clue what’s happening right now,”** Prudence was quick to absolve herself of any wrongdoing. Before Bonnie could voice her objections, another hostess walked up to Bonnie and Niklaus with a smile. 

**“Bennett, Party of 2?”** Bonnie watched in silent shock as Klaus tugged on her arm, prompting her to fall into step next to him. She glanced back at her sister who was walking in the opposite direction with Elijah before turning her gaze back to Klaus. He walked beside her with his head held high and a smug smile that Bonnie wanted to backhand off his smug face. She couldn’t decide if she was angry by his tenacity or turned on by it. If she was being honest with herself, it was a bit of both.

**“Who in the _hell_ do you think you are?”** Was the first question out of her mouth once they were seated. Klaus smirked and studied the menu as if he and his family haven’t eaten there countless times in the past. **“You were behind _all_ of this, weren’t you?”** Judging by the confusion on both Elijah and Prudence’s face, it was obvious they had no clue what Klaus had been planning. **“If you don’t start talking now I will cause a scene. You know I’m good for it,”** she threatened. Klaus glanced up from his menu with a knowing look in his eyes that made Bonnie pause.

**“You won’t,”** he boastfully declared. **“The tabloids have been off your ass for the past two weeks, the longest break you’ve had this year. Causing a scene will only place you back in the spotlight and judging by how rested you look, we both know you don’t want that.”** He leaned back in his chair and studied her, waiting for her to come back at him but instead, he got nothing. For once in her life, Bonnie was bereft of words.

**“You’re not the only one that can read people,”** Klaus spoke when it was clear that Bonnie had nothing to counter with. **“How have you been?”** Though he asked nonchalantly, Klaus genuinely wanted to know.

**“I’m not an easy person to read,”** Bonnie said instead, finally finding her voice.

**“No, you’re not,”** Klaus agreed. **“Which is why I did my research,”** he confessed.

**“Still trying to figure me out, I see,”** she teased with a smirk. Rather than denying it, Klaus owned up to it this time.

**“You’ve managed to capture my attention.”** Bonnie’s teeth kneaded her bottom lip, preventing a smile from spreading across her face.

**“This type of shit doesn’t work on me, you know.”** Klaus’s smoldering eyes met Bonnie’s and for a moment, she forgot where they were. They held each other’s gaze as a server came over and filled their empty glasses with water and garnished it with mint leaves and lemon. Once gone, Klaus spoke up.

**“What type of shit, Bonnie?”** Her name on his accented lips was sinful.

**“Arrogance, disguised as confidence,”** she began. **“I won’t be whisked away by you.”** Klaus smiled at her, watching as she leaned back in her chair, her arm propped against the back of it.

**“I assure you, my arrogance is not disguised as anything, Love, and I don’t plan on whisking you away,”** Klaus paused for dramatic effect, continuing when Bonnie raised an inquisitive brow. **“I’m going to drown you.”** Bonnie laughed out loud, earning several glances from nearby patrons.

**“You know,”** she began, leaning in from across the table. Klaus found himself leaning in as well until their faces were inches apart. **“I swim just as well as I dance.”** Bonnie tapped the tip of his nose, earning a smirk from Klaus. He caught her hand in his and held it gingerly, resting it on the tabletop.

**“We’ll see about that,”** he muttered, staring at their hands as his thumb stroked the back of hers. He noticed that she didn’t pull away from him and for that, he was pleased.

From across the room, Prudence noticed Bonnie and Niklaus’s interaction and couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. The two of them had no clue what was happening to them but from the outside looking in, Prudence was glad to have a front seat in watching their story unfurl. 

-X-

Bonnie was annoyed by Niklaus’s charm. Things that wouldn’t typically work on her, he somehow got away with. She hated romance films for the simple fact that they painted women as goo-goo gaga over mediocre men who did little or nothing to earn their affections.

But Klaus wasn’t mediocre.

Well, maybe in the traditional sense.

Constantly, Bonnie had to ask if he was cute, or if he was simply white. If what he was doing worked because of his skin color, or did he actually have game.

The answer was yes.

Despite what he was, these things worked in his favor. He didn’t back down from her boldness. Maybe at first, but once he began to ‘figure her out,’ he hit back with the same amount of tenacity she had. Several times during lunch, he left her speechless. It annoyed her. She always had a good comeback. She wondered if this was how he felt when he first met her. She loved letting the air out of arrogant males and their egos but Bonnie never paused to wonder how it felt to be on the receiving end of that. She was just as arrogant as some of the men she encountered, only none of them ever confronted her on it.

Until Klaus.

It was the first time they had a real conversation without trying to one-up each other. Bonnie was at a crossroads. Men who talked about themselves were arrogant enough to believe she wanted to hear it and men who wanted her to do all of the talking were too lazy to engage. She couldn’t make up her mind which one she wanted him to be.

He was neither.

He spoke when necessary and listened when she spoke which was much more than she expected. She felt like an ant under his magnifying glass and for once in her life, she almost felt intimidated. She hated feeling intimidated which is why she backed everyone into a corner whenever she could. Better to make them uncomfortable than to _be_ uncomfortable.

By the end of their meal, Bonnie found that it was her trying to figure him out now.

She didn’t like that. Everyone was an open book when you learned how to read. 

He held her hand the entire time, releasing her only when the food arrived. She expected him to order something pretentious like a duck and was shocked when he ordered the chicken. After their plates were cleared, Bonnie found herself purposely placing her hand back on the table. Klaus smirked and took the hint.

**“What are you trying to figure out now?”** He asked smoothly, repeating her words to her.

**“Don’t use my line on me,”** she teased gently. His thumb on her hand felt like a second pulse and though she teased the couples that held hands, she found herself understanding the beauty behind the simple act… or some shit. **“I’m not trying to figure anything out,”** she lied. 

**“Oh, come now,”** Klaus frowned. **“You’ve been brutally honest with me thus far, don’t change on me now.”** This is what Bonnie didn’t like about him.

**“I don’t think I like you very much,”** she confessed, though he could hear the beginnings of a smile in her voice. **“We’re too much alike. I thought opposites attracted.”**

**“If we’re alike and you don’t like me, then it’s really yourself that you do not like,”** Klaus wasn’t sure he could repeat that sentence again if he tried and hoped that she understood him.

She did.

**“Harsh,”** she commented. 

**“No offense.”**

**“Many taken,”** she quipped with a smirk.

**“Opposite attracts sometimes, but people have begun to expect it all the time. There’s no harm in being attracted to someone you see yourself in,”** he answered truthfully. Bonnie smiled, using this moment to turn his words back on him even though he meant them for her.

**“Do you see yourself in me?”**

**“We’re practically identical.”** Bonnie allowed his words to marinate in silence before speaking up.

**“It’s bold of you to assume that I’m attracted to you,”** she said, referring to his earlier statement.

**“A man knows,”** he said with a grin. Bonnie smiled at his attention to detail and recollection of their previous conversations.

**“This is exactly why I don’t like you,”** she grinned.

**“Us. You don’t like us; twins, remember?”** Niklaus brought his glass to his lips. **“There are still two questions you’ve allowed to go unanswered,”** Klaus reminded her. At Bonnie’s confusion, he held up a finger. **“How have you been?”** He added another digit. **“What are you trying to figure out?”**

**“I’ve been okay and I’m trying to figure out what your angle is,”** she answered truthfully. **  
**

 **“Just okay?”** As soon as he asked, he remembered her situation with the boyfriend. The thought made him look down at their hands in question. Bonnie followed his eyes and, as if she could read his thoughts, spoke up. 

**“We broke up,”** she confessed, waiting on him to say something snarky. It’s what she would have done.

**“Expanding our horizons, are we?”** She didn’t know what to make of his comment but she appreciated that he assumed she was the one that left and not the other way around. Or at least that’s what he led her to believe. **“I have no angle,”** he finally said. **“I’m just curious about you.”**

Bonnie wasn’t used to such honesty. **“What happens when that curiosity fades,”** she found herself asking. **“When you’ve figured out all there is about me?”**

**“Well,”** Klaus found himself wondering the same. **“If I like what I find, I’ll stick around, if not, I’ll quit wasting your time,”** he answered as truthfully as he could. Bonnie found that she didn’t like his answer. She stared pensively at him before raising her glass to her lips with a small smirk.

**“Bold of you to assume you’re wasting my time.”**


	4. New Person, Same Old Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience. This chapter is a bit long to make up for it. Keep in mind that while there are several other characters in this story, the main focus is Bonnie and Klaus. The story is told in third person but is limited to their point of view with the occasional insight from other characters. This was done to cut down on the length. I intend for this to be a short story but based on my history, I tend to be long-winded. I'd like to knock this out in ten chapters but we'll see. Try not to be annoyed with Bonnie this chapter lol. Please let me know your thoughts when you're done! :) Happy reading!

_“I can just hear them now:_   
_‘How could you let us down?’”_

-X-

Bonnie scrolled her social media feed, chuckling at the latest rumors circulating about her. According to _The Tea Spiller_ , she was ‘spotted’ with both Niklaus and Elijah Mikaelson and had a ‘thing’ going on with the two of them, despite her sister’s upcoming nuptials. It was amazing what people came up with—all out of sheer boredom.

Since lunch a week ago, Klaus texted her periodically. Most of his messages were of him talking shit and her responding with her infamous wittiness. She liked that he wasn’t sappy, though if she had to guess, he could turn it on if he thought he could get anything out of her. In turn, Klaus loved that Bonnie kept him on his toes, which is more than he could say about women he courted in the past. Was he courting her? Who knows? For now, he made himself believe that he was just satisfying his curiosity until something else grasped his attention. He didn’t want anything from Bonnie, just her company, which was a treat in and of itself.

_It was the eve of Prudence’s engagement party_ and the drive from the city to Southampton was a breeze. Prudence invited Rebekah along and Bonnie invited Katherine. The four girls thoroughly enjoyed the road trip but if Bonnie was being honest, the last thirty minutes was a bit of a drag. Having lived in the city all of her life, being in a car for longer than two hours was inconceivable. If she could have flown to Long Island, she would’ve but she managed to suffer the trip with minimal complaints. The Bennett Southhampton home was, in a word, massive, and easy to get lost in, which was exactly what Bonnie did. She and Katherine retreated to her forgotten bedroom immediately after their arrival.

**“This room hasn’t been touched since little Bon-Bon was here. Awwww,”** Katherine grinned, sighing with nostalgia. Bonnie gave her the finger and tossed her bag onto the bed. Her body followed behind it and the two girls spent the next thirty minutes going through some of Bonnie’s childhood memorabilia before Prudence and Rebekah showed up to crash the party.

Tomorrow was the engagement party and people from far and wide would gather to attend. The house was filled with staff preparing the halls for the festivities and despite being warned to stay out of the way, all Bonnie wanted to do was eat. She reached into her bag for a pack of Oreos and placed them on the bed between her and Katherine. She watched as the girls spoke of their outfits for tomorrow and what they planned to wear while she silently munched on her cookies, purposely drowning them out.

**“In other news,”** Bonnie interrupted when her stomach growled for the third time, “ **what are we doing for food?”**

**“Elijah is about thirty minutes out,”** Rebekah began, looking down at her phone. **“We could all have dinner somewhere?”** The three girls turned to look at Bonnie for validation. Bonnie shrugged her shoulders and fiddled cookie crumbs from her fingers.

**“Fine by me,”** she said, then asked out of curiosity. **“I thought Oliver and Company weren’t coming until tomorrow?”** She chose to ignore the excitement building within her. Today had just gotten interesting. Prudence watched as Bonnie’s green eyes glowed brightly with approval and shook her head.

**“They were,”** Rebekah confirmed. **“But your father offered them a room here. Elijah accepted but Nik won’t be in until tomorrow.”** Rebekah was also surprised when Elijah had informed her that he’d be driving up separately to meet them.

**“Aww, it’s such a pity that Niklaus won’t make it tonight,”** Katherine smirked. Bonnie threw a cookie at her which Katherine caught with her cat-like reflexes. Prudence watched the two with a knowing grin as pieces of the puzzle began to formulate.

**“So it was Niklaus you disappeared with at the Ball?”** Bonnie shot her sister a dirty look and Rebekah perked up.

**“Wait,”** Rebekah looked between Prudence and Bonnie. **“You and that wanker?”** Rebekah erupted into a fit of giggles. **“Details. Now!”** Bonnie rolled her eyes. She hated being the subject of ‘girl talk’.

**“He cornered me, we danced, I left,”** Bonnie summarized before placing an Oreo to her lips.

**“Honey, no one is out here cornering Bonnie Bennett unless she allows them to,”** Katherine purred. **“Cornered you how,”** she asked suggestively with a raise of her brow. Prudence giggled and Rebekah groaned.

**“Spare me the details, please,”** Rebekah said, pretending to gag. The three girls looked at Bonnie expectantly, wanting to hear all about her night with Niklaus. Bonnie paused, trying to find a way out of it. Part of her wanted to indulge, the other part wanted to keep that night to herself. The doorbell chimed throughout the house and without hesitation, Bonnie took that as an excuse.

**“Saved by the bell,”** She quipped as she hopped out of bed and bolted out of the room, leaving the girls behind in a peal of laughter.

-X-

The grounds of the Bennett Estate were decorated with a sea of round tables adorned with white linen. The ornate crystal glasses shimmered in the sunlight as the morning sun began its journey across the sky. Sunrises in The Hamptons were so beautiful; each morning began with a gift from nature. Bonnie walked through the rows of tables, watching the workers as they assembled furniture to make the event possible. Her wide-brimmed hat shielded her face from the sun’s rays and the shadow it cast stopped just above her lips. Her white and pink sundress hugged her torso and flared at the hips, twirling dramatically whenever she moved suddenly.

Breathtaking was the word that came to his mind each time Niklaus saw her. He found himself watching her from where he stood across the gardens. Her allure called to him until he was standing mere inches away from her. Her fragrance pilfered his senses and it was all he could do not to inhale—Chanel #5.

**“Are you always this put together so early in the A.M.?”** The bass in his voice rattled her, prompting Bonnie to spin on her heels. He watched as her dress rushed to catch up with her movements and found himself smiling when her eyes met his.

**“No,”** she rebutted. **“I’m here for the mimosas,”** she teased, earning a nod of approval. She surveyed him briefly. The blue accents of his white suit made his eyes stand out and Bonnie found it easy to get lost in them.

**“There are cafés for that, Darling,”** he offered.

**“Everyone here knows my parents personally and would rather cut off a limb than to sell me alcohol,”** she reminded.

**“Right, underaged,”** he nodded. With the way Bonnie carried herself, he often forgot that she’s not yet drinking age.

**“My fake IDs get me nowhere out here but ironically, it’s easier to sneak drinks right under their noses,”** she gleamed. **“May I ask why you’re here so early?”** From what Rebekah mentioned the night before, he wasn’t due to arrive until closer to Brunch. “ **Stalking me again?”** Niklaus chuckled lightly. He was beginning to grow used to her teasing.

**“You wish,”** he snarked. **“The drive up was shorter than I anticipated so I decided to drop in earlier to hang around a bit.”** Bonnie glanced down at her smartwatch to confirm the time. They had roughly an hour before the rest of the guests arrived in time for brunch. Her parents had a day of festivities planned and though she never understood the obsessive need for parties, the endless supply of alcohol helped to keep from gouging her eyes out.

**“They flew Sylvia in from Charleston so, at the very least, the food will be good,”** Bonnie stated with a gleam in her eyes. Sylvia was an older African American cook that worked for her grandmother. After Sheila’s passing, Sylvia moved back to South Carolina to be closer to family. Bonnie adored Sylvia and missed her gourmet meals. Whenever Sylvia was around, things felt like they once were. **“Can’t vouch for the rest of the party, though,”** she muttered.

**“I take it you’re not thrilled about any of this,”** Klaus surmised.Bonnie instantly shook her head.

**“Hell no! I’m going to be under a magnifying scope the entire time when they’re supposed to be focusing on Pru. Everyone loves minding my damn business.”** And she couldn’t figure out why. She didn’t have any business to tell that wasn’t already plastered on every major tabloid there is. **“When I tell them to fuck off, it’s a problem.”** Niklaus laughed.

**“That would be considered a problem under any circumstance, Love,”** he joked. Bonnie offered a soft smile.

**“I just wish they’d leave me alone, that’s all.”** Before Klaus could respond, they were interrupted by Abby Bennett’s grand entrance. The woman looked as though she just stepped out of a Vogue magazine and though Bonnie couldn't stand to look at her most of the time, she had to admit that her mother was gorgeous. Too bad her attitude left much to be desired. **“Speak of the devil and she shall appear,”** Bonnie muttered.

**“Oh, there you are,”** Abby breathed with relief. She eyed Bonnie’s attire with disdain and shook her head disapprovingly. Bonnie tensed as she braced herself for whatever was about to come out of Abby’s mouth. Niklaus noticed the shift in the atmosphere immediately. **“I hope you plan to change. Those colors do not go with the brunch theme and I already had your outfit planned. Be a dear and change, please?”** Bonnie gritted her teeth as her blood pressure immediately began to rise. She swallowed her pride and the obscenities that threatened to leave her lips.

**“Okay, Abby.”** Today was about Prudence and Bonnie promised herself the night before that she wouldn’t let her temper ruin things for her sister. Most of Prudence’s friends and colleagues from the hospital were there and the last thing Bonnie wanted to do was rage war with Abby and embarrass Prudence in front of everyone she knew. Before Abby could say anything else to send her over the edge, Bonnie started towards the house. Much to her abhorrence, Abby was hot on her trail.

**“I’m not done, Bonnie,”** Abby called out behind her. Bonnie mustered every ounce of strength within her to slow her steps. She closed her eyes and counted to ten as she waited until Abby caught up with her. Once she felt the woman’s presence behind her, Bonnie exhaled and turned on her heels to face her. The smile on her face was beyond fake.

**“Yes, Abby?”** Abby narrowed her eyes.

**“I’ve asked you repeatedly not to call me that,”** she sneered. Her patience with Bonnie was hairline thin.

**“My apologies, Abigail,”** Bonnie corrected, narrowing her eyes at the woman. Before Abby could retaliate, Bonnie spoke up. **“Is there something else that you wanted?”** Bonnie tried to keep her tone light, however, Abby knew better. She could feel the acrimony in Bonnie’s words.

**“You better watch how you talk to me, little girl,”** she snapped. Bonnie rolled her eyes and without warning, Abby grabbed her by the jaw. Bonnie glowered at the woman while trying to pull away but Abby held tight. **“I am so sick of you,”** Abby spat. **“If you cause any trouble today, I swear that’ll be it for you.”** Abby roughly released Bonnie from her grasp and glared down at her to assert her dominance. **“Now go change,”** she barked as she stormed off. Bonnie’s eyes stung with unshed tears as her face grew hot with rage. She moved to charge at Abby’s retreating figure but a hand on her wrist prevented her from moving. 

**“Don’t fucking touch me,”** she snapped. Bonnie jerked her arm away but was blocked when Niklaus moved to stand in front of her. At her icy glare, he held his hands up in defense.

**“Love, I understand you’re upset right now but I don’t think charging after her would be wise,”** Klaus reasoned while trying to intervene. Bonnie focused her laser-like eyes on him and for a moment, he wondered if he’d done something wrong.

**“I don’t give a fuck,”** she barked. **“She’s fucking with me on purpose!”**

**“Then don’t play her games,”** he reasoned. **“If you show that her antics are working, she’ll keep doing it. Don’t give her that ammunition,”** he said, not believing those words were actually coming from him. He was the king of retaliation but right now, Bonnie didn’t need justification. The last thing he wanted was to see her go down in a blaze of glory, taking Prudence and his brother with her.

Frustrated beyond words, Bonnie felt her emotions begin to overcome her and to her dismay, tears began to fall like crystals. She growled beneath her breath as she angrily wiped at her eyes. She was having an okay morning until Abby walked up, spewing hate everywhere.

**“I hate her,”** Bonnie tearfully admitted. Klaus watched as she struggled with her emotions and felt a tug in his chest. Until now, he’d only seen combative, defensive, Bonnie and for a while, he thought maybe it was all that was there. He knew firsthand how acidic parental relationships could be. His relationship with Mikael left much to be desired. He also knew how deep the cuts could go when the person that welcomed you into the world couldn’t accept who you turned out to be. He felt what Bonnie was feeling and for that, he empathized with her.

**“Beneath the anger, there’s always an underlying emotion,”** he said as he reached up to catch her tears with his thumbs. Until then, she refused to make eye contact with him but his words struck a chord. 

Blinking, Bonnie shifted her gaze, and the two of them locked eyes. She suddenly felt completely vulnerable, as if she had been stripped naked in front of him. She reached up and gently pulled his hands away from her face before stepping away. He could feel her withdrawing but didn’t know what to say to stop it. Whatever he felt in that brief moment, he could tell she felt it too. He watched as Bonnie gathered herself, fighting desperately to save face. The construction of walls forming around her heart was nearly visible as she became guarded once again. Brick by brick, the facade resurfaced and though he wanted nothing more than for her to bare herself to him, he remained silent as he watched her retreat emotionally.

Their eyes met again and the vulnerability he saw moments ago was replaced with the familiar stoniness he was used to. With a roll of her eyes, she huffed, using her usual self-deprecating humor to downplay the awkwardness of what transpired.

**“I guess the ‘golden child’ should do as she’s told before Abigail shits all over herself,”** she grumbled before walking off towards the house. Niklaus watched her walk away for several seconds before calling out to her.

**“I’m sure whatever it is, you’ll look lovely in it.”** Bonnie’s steps faltered. She smiled softly to herself before turning to face him. Klaus felt his heart skip a beat when he recognized that familiar mischievous gleam in her eyes.

**“There you go, assuming shit,”** she said with a smirk. Niklaus chuckled, revealing his dimpled smile, and Bonnie, too, felt her heart skip a beat.

-X-

Three hours in and Bonnie was ready to claw everyone’s eyes out. She was too sober to deal with the ass-kissing amongst all of the other bullshit. When distant relatives weren’t badgering her about her recent run-in with the tabloids or her dead-end future, she was busy avoiding undercover reporters and Prudence’s picture-perfect colleagues. Bonnie was convinced that everyone in the medical field was condescending assholes who thought every other career was beneath them and couldn’t imagine her sister potentially becoming one of them.

Each run-in with someone forced her to face the reality of what her life would be if she didn’t get her ‘shit together’. Her anxiety was through the roof and no amount of vaping could calm her down. She was so on edge, she could chew through bricks.

**“I need to get the fuck out of here,”** she muttered as she glanced around for any signs of Katherine or even Rebekah. To her dismay, Katherine had found a new prey; one of Prudence’s colleagues, Malachai Parker. He was an absolute nut job from what she heard from Prudence, but that was exactly Katherine’s type. Honestly, w _hat psycho volunteers to dissect cadavers for fun?_

Another scan of the party revealed that Rebekah found company in a brunette woman by the name of Hayley. Hayley was everything Prudence wasn’t and was an obvious distraction for Rebekah, who was trying hard not to focus on how loving and doting the newlyweds-to-be were.

Bonnie moved through the crowd, hoping that no one stopped her to play that stupid ‘Find the Guest’ game that Abby started. It was one of many games they cooked up and while Bonnie enjoyed Bridal Bingo, she wasn’t interested in anything more than getting the fuck out of the stuffy atmosphere.

After bumming a cigarette from a guest, Bonnie waited until the coast was clear before sneaking upstairs to smoke. Her bedroom had a balcony that she could utilize in peace. As she reached the top of the stairs, she paused upon hearing hushed whispers from around the corner. Ever the snooper, Bonnie strained her ears to listen. Whoever was there was too enthralled in their conversation to notice she was nearby. The woman’s voice was familiar, however, she knew the guy’s voice immediately.

_“I want us to be together as we should. I’m sick of denying my feelings,”_ The woman pleaded. Bonnie smirked as she listened louder. Drama was best when it wasn’t happening to you.

_“I refuse to do this here, Caroline.”_ Bonnie frowned when she recognized the voice and turned the corner before she could stop herself. Instantly, she and Klaus’s eyes met and Bonnie almost grinned at the startled look on his face. Caroline jumped and turned around, also startled. She squinted at Bonnie but before she could say a word, Bonnie headed her off.

**“I’ve never liked you, so please give me a reason. I dare you,”** The look on Bonnie’s face discouraged all thoughts of retaliation as her threat was clear. Caroline left with a huff, obviously embarrassed by being caught with her proverbial pants down. Bonnie scoffed as she watched Caroline exit hurriedly. `Bonnie waved her off and turned to face Niklaus who wore an inscrutable expression.

**“Go ahead and run after your little girlfriend,”** she barked bitterly, brushing past him. Her sour mood darkened as she tried in vain to push her intrusive thoughts about what just happened aside. Klaus huffed and turned to face Bonnie’s retreating form for a second time that day.

**“Hey!”** She didn’t bother acknowledging him but that didn’t deter his attempts to capture her attention. It only took a couple of strides to catch up to her and once he did, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder to halt her movements. He released her immediately when she spun around to face him; the look on her face made it clear that she didn’t want to be bothered.

**“Don’t touch me!”** For the second time that day, Klaus held his hands up in defense.

**“Let me explain what you saw.”** The words were foreign to his ears. He wasn’t sure why but it mattered to him what she thought of him and he hated to see their progress slip down the drain because of a petty misunderstanding and didn’t want her to leave with the wrong perception.

**“You don’t have to man-splain anything. It’s pretty obvious what I saw,”** she snarked. The incredulous look on his face nearly made her laugh out loud.

**“Now there you go, assuming shit,”** he countered, throwing her earlier words back in her face. Bonnie raised a brow but said nothing as she folded her arms over her chest.

**“I’m listening.”** For reasons she wasn’t completely comfortable with, she anticipated what he would say. He had no obligation to her and thus did not owe her an explanation. Still, she hoped to hear him say that she was reaching and that there was nothing to it.

**“Caroline and I have history.”** Judging by the start of this conversation, Bonnie wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the end of it. Still, she simply raised a brow, silently encouraging him to continue. **“We never dated but I actively pursued her for years. It wasn’t until I lost interest did she begin pursuing me.”**

**“We always want what we can’t have,”** she interjected. To that, Klaus nodded. **“Still, you said you, ‘couldn’t do this here’ which implies that whatever ‘this’ is, you intended to do it somewhere else.”** Even she could admit that her sentence came out much more crass than she intended, but she didn’t falter. Klaus eyed her for a moment before a slow smirk made its way across his face. He chuckled, shaking his head.

**“For one, I didn’t think it would be polite to have that conversation under your roof. Also, Caroline has a flair for the dramatics and I have a feeling that things will go south rather quickly when I inevitably reject her declaration of love.”** Klaus watched silently as Bonnie digested the information. His answer disarmed her. Her shoulders relaxed immediately though her eyes remained guarded.

**“Since when are you polite?”** The question was rhetorical. **“Why are you rejecting her?”** Her candor brought a small smile to his lips. Her forwardness was both refreshing and laser-like.

**“I have my reasons,”** he casually stated. **“Trying to figure me out, are we?”** At his question, her expressive eyes lowered in disapproval, making him chuckle at her expense.

**“If you keep throwing my words back at me, I’ll have to fight you,”** she threatened, though there were traces of a smile at the corners of her mouth.

**“Promise?”** Bonnie grinned at the fabricated hopeful look on his face.

**“You’re such a little shit,”** she smirked. The sounds of footsteps ascending the steps broke their focus and without realizing it, Bonnie moved away from Niklaus just as Prudence rounded the corner.

**“There you are,”** she sighed with relief. **“I thought maybe you left,”** she said with a small smile.

**“Me? Never,”** she said jokingly. At Prudence’s look, she smiled innocently. **“Niklaus was just sharing with me how excited he is to have you as a sister-in-law,”** she deflected. She didn’t have the heart to tell her sister that she was, in fact, planning her escape.

Prudence didn’t seem to notice as her eyes lit up excitedly. **“Really? Thank you, I’m really glad to hear that. You and Rebekah have been so accommodating and welcoming which has taken the edge off of considerably.”**

Bonnie didn’t miss her chance. **“Oh yeah, Rebekah is crazy about you,”** she smirked. No one seemed to catch her joke but her, still, she smiled proudly. Before leaving, Prudence informed them of their plans to play Ring Hunt, before leaving Bonnie and Niklaus alone once again. Once out of earshot, Niklaus turned to Bonnie with a slight grin.

**“So you’ve noticed my sister’s interest in her too?”** At this revelation, Bonnie spun on her heels with an astonished look. His smile grew into a grin. **“What? You’re not the only observant one around here,”** he chuckled. Bonnie let out a shocked laugh and shook her head.

**“From day one,”** she confirmed as she began to descend the stairs with Niklaus behind her. All hopes of escaping were permanently shelved, much to her dismay. **“I can’t wait to see how this goes,”** she stated with a small smile. Whatever the outcome, Bonnie would be sure to have Prudence’s back.

**“Hopefully, my sister doesn’t do anything out of line.”** Niklaus noticed Rebekah’s interest from day one as well, though he warned his darling sister not to interfere. So far, it seems as though she’s been keeping her distance, but who knew with Rebekah.

**“And if she does, hopefully, it’ll be worth it,”** Bonnie added.

-X-

Things were going great until they weren’t. Brunch was a success and went on without a hitch. As the day began to wind down, family and friends began to make their excuses and branch out into smaller subgroups. A group of Bonnie’s cousins from Virginia invited her to take a trip into the city but Bonnie declined. She wasn’t up for another two-hour ride to a city she spent most of her time trying to escape. They only wanted to use her for clout and photo-ops anyway.

Her parents impulsively invited several guests to have dinner later that evening, meaning Bonnie was forced to socialize longer than planned. While Prudence entertained a group of friends, Abby and Rudy played host to a group of stuffy individuals who were invited for business purposes. Katherine left with Malachai to his rental while Rebekah and Elijah were unaccounted for. 

Interestingly, Klaus, Bonnie, and Caroline were left to keep each other company. Bonnie watched silently from her seat on the couch as Caroline threw herself at Niklaus. Ever polite, Niklaus entertained her for appearance's sake. As Bonnie sipped her cranberry vodka, she watched their body language with sharp eyes. For reasons undiscovered, she was infuriated by Caroline’s presence but was proud of herself for remaining civil thus far.

Civility went out the window, however, when Caroline decided to poke the fucking bear.

**“So, Bonnie, what’s new in your life?”** At the sudden attention, Bonnie lifted a curious brow. In hindsight, she supposed she could have responded more elegantly.

**“Caroline, so nice of you to acknowledge I’m here. Life’s great!”** Bonnie said with a fake smile. Caroline squinted while Niklaus chuckled to himself. Not one to take a slight lying down, Caroline bit back.

**“My apologies. You have my undivided attention now, Princess,”** she bit back sarcastically. Bonnie remained unbothered and met Caroline’s icy gaze with an uninterested look of her own. **“How’s your boyfriend, _Mario._ I noticed he wasn’t in attendance today.”** By the smug look on Caroline’s face, Bonnie knew exactly what she was trying to get at. Bonnie’s jaw ticked and Niklaus immediately went on alert once he noticed the murderous glare from earlier this morning. It was the same look Bonnie gave Abby right before she nearly dived on the woman.

Bonnie sipped her drink and chuckled humorously in an effort not to allow Caroline her get under her skin. She squeezed the glass, contemplating chucking it at Caroline’s head. Instead, she opted for placing it neatly on the end table next to the high-back chair she sat in. She uncrossed her legs and sat up straight.

**“It’s Marcel and he’s in jail, Bitch. Thanks for asking.”**

**“If you need money for his books I would be glad to help.”**

**“Caroline,”** Klaus’s warning tone brought Caroline’s attention back to him. Admittedly, she’d forgotten he was there.

**“I’m just saying,”** she defended in a soft voice.

**“You have some goddamn nerve disrespecting me in my own house.”** Bonnie stood to her feet. Niklaus noticed her heels were discarded and the glass she’d been drinking from was now clutched within her grip. He stood at attention and tried to meet Bonnie’s gaze but to no avail. Her focus was solely on Caroline, who didn’t realize the danger she was currently in.

**“I was simply offering my help,”** Caroline sassed. Bonnie laughed.

**“Oh, I know what you’re doing,”** she said with a smile that held no joy. **“You think because we’re in front of a live studio audience that I won’t do shit. You want to ruffle the black girl’s feathers so that—once again—everyone will paint me as the villain and you as the victim.”** She inched closer to Caroline until she was just a foot away. To her credit, Caroline was genuinely shocked by Bonnie’s accusations.

Caroline stood to her feet. **“What!? Are you delusional? That’s not at all what I intended!”**

**“Liar!”** Maybe it was the alcohol or the way Niklaus moved to stand in front of Caroline; but whatever it was set Bonnie off. As he turned to ask Caroline to leave the room (and preferably the entire house), the glass previously in Bonnie’s hand flew past his head and hit Caroline directly above the eyebrow. Caroline screamed and launched herself at Bonnie, barely missing Niklaus in the process. Bonnie caught Caroline by the hair and dragged her to the ground and a scuffle between them broke out. As Bonnie reached to pick up something heavy, she was suddenly hoisted into the air and pulled away.

**“Bonnie. Sheila. Bennett!”** Abby’s shrill tone snapped Bonnie back to reality. Her father, who pulled her from the fight, moved to stand between an approaching Abby and his youngest daughter.

**“Abby, not right now. We have guests,”** he warned. He knew how hot-headed his wife was and how volatile she and Bonnie could be. From across the room, Niklaus struggled to keep Caroline from starting part two.

By now, the remaining guests had all gathered in the dining room where the incident took place. Amongst them were Prudence and the rest of the Mikaelson family. Prudence looked on sorrowfully, knowing that things were about to go from bad to worst. Bonnie used her father’s large frame to keep Abby at bay. If there was one thing Abby hated most, it was being embarrassed in public.

If looks could kill, Abby would have murdered Bonnie on the spot. Bonnie’s heart raced with adrenaline as she struggled to keep from hyperventilating. She dreaded what was to come and it was all she could do to keep from falling apart at the seams. She fucked up. Big time.

**“I believe that’s a wrap everyone. Thank you for the pleasure of your time. Mr. Jenkins, if you would see everyone to the door?”** Elijah’s regality overshadowed the tension in the room for just a moment as he called out to the butler. Whatever was to come did not need any witnesses outside of their family. Hushed whispers could be heard all around as one by one, the remaining party-goers began to leave.

**“Bennett, you’ll be hearing from our attorney! You really ought to put that daughter of yours on a tighter leash.”** An angry William Forbes glared at Bonnie as he ushered his battered daughter out of the house. Elizabeth Forbes looked on with an apologetic expression as she tried in vain to apologize for her husband’s outburst.

**“Have Caroline’s medical bills sent to our city address, Liz. I will be in touch with you both later,”** Rudy quelled. Bonnie scoffed and rolled her eyes as she watched the scene in front of her play out. Once everyone was out of earshot, Abby unleashed her wrath on Bonnie.

**“Do you have any idea what you’ve just cost us? I asked one thing of you and you couldn’t even do that. You continue to make us look like a fool and for the life of me, I cannot understand why!”** The two women glared at one another as Rudy tried in vain to remain in between the two of them. Bonnie wanted to apologize for ruining things but as always, Abby knew what buttons to press.

**“You know what? I don’t care! I’m so sick of you trying to force me to play along with this false image you’re trying to portray. Do you even _care_ to hear my side of the story? No! You never do.”** Bonnie hated how her voice broke in between words but her emotions only fueled her to continue. Her gaze shifted from Abby to Rudy as she addressed him next. **“That asshole practically called me an animal and you offered to pay his daughter’s medical bills! Dad, seriously?! That’s where we’re at? How much pandering and ass-kissing do you have to do before you finally feel good enough for the people you try to please?”**

**“Bonnie, that’s enough!”** Rudy’s face was the deepest shade of red Bonnie’s ever seen but she refused to fold.

**“No! It isn’t! Would it kill you two to take my side on _one_ thing? You always demonize me for everything. You never take my side!”**

**“Because you’re always WRONG!”** It was Abby’s turn to jump in. **“You do everything you can to destroy what we’ve worked so hard to build.”** Abby scoffed as she gave Bonnie a scorned look that nearly made her recoil. **“I swear sometimes…”** Abby sighed as she ran her fingers through her mass of curls. She was at her wit's end.

**“Sometimes, what? Go ahead and say it, Abigail,”** Bonnie provoked. **“Stop pretending and say what you really feel. We both know you can’t stand me!”** The two women glared at one another. Upon being challenged, Abby rounded her husband, squaring off with her youngest daughter. Though there was a considerable height difference, Bonnie always stood tall in the face of adversity. Abby was no different.

**“Sometimes I wish I kept my goddamn legs closed.”** There was an audible gasp as Prudence rushed to Bonnie’s side.

**“Mom!”** Shocked by her mother’s admittance, Prudence moved to stand between the two women. She placed a hand on Bonnie’s shoulders to lead her away from the altercation but Bonnie stood firmly planted in her spot. Abby’s words cut deep but she wouldn’t allow her to get the last word. In a weak attempt, Prudence tried desperately to cover Bonnie’s mouth but the moment her younger sister pulled away, she knew it was a lost cause.

**“And every day I wish you died instead of Grams.”** Abby physically recoiled but said nothing as Bonnie glared at her.

**“Jesus, Bonnie,”** Prudence muttered as she tried to pull her sister away. Prudence finally gained control and walked with Bonnie up the stairs towards her bedroom. The walk was silent as both girls silently contemplated what transpired. Bonnie held her composure until Prudence shut and locked the door behind them. One look at her sister and Prudence could see the pain that Bonnie tried so hard to mask. Bonnie took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but the words escaped her. Without warning, Bonnie began to unravel in front of her and broke down into tears.

**“Bonnie,”** Prudence’s heart ached for her sister.

**“I can’t deal with this anymore, Pru.”** Bonnie felt as though she was going to lose what little mind she had left. The constant pressure she was under to act a certain way was too much to endure. Perfection was a burden and though she never strived for it, the expectations everyone placed on her were crippling. **“Nothing I do is ever good enough. I didn’t fucking ask to be here.”** Bonnie closed her eyes as the urge to do bodily harm to herself became unbearable. Her chest constricted as her thoughts took over and fought to find a permanent solution to her sorrows. As Bonnie continued to unravel, Prudence silently held her sister in her arms as she cried endlessly into her lap. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled to stay strong for her.

**“I’m sorry I ruined your party.”** The guilt of ruining yet another family function added to Bonnie’s distress. She ruined everything whether she meant to or not. She often wondered how much better her family would be without her. Abby’s words damaged her more than she cared to admit. As terrible as her confession was, Bonnie knew it to be true. The way Abby acted towards her—the acerbic comments, the hateful glares—confirmed what Bonnie knew. Abby despised her and if left up to her, Bonnie wouldn’t exist at all. Sadly, Bonnie wished the same. She was sick of being treated as an outsider; sick of ruining things for their otherwise perfect family. She was the outlier. She was the flaw in their image.

Prudence frowned. This line of thinking never meant any good. She feared for her sister’s stability and her overall mental health. **“You didn’t ruin it, Bonnie.”** As she consoled her, Prudence stroked Bonnie’s soft curls. **“Mom’s frustrated and probably a bit drunk, don’t listen to her.”** But how could she not? As sharp as Bonnie’s tongue could be, Abby’s was laced with poison. She knew just what to say to strip Bonnie of everything. Her pride, her dignity, all of it. One drop of Abby’s venom could destroy a person and each injection left Bonnie in pieces.

**“She’s right though.”** Bonnie wiped her eyes. It was hard wearing a mask every day; unable to show her true feelings. **“I can see it in your eyes each time I fuck something up—the disappointment, the shame, the frustration. You and dad have the decency to hide it at least but I still see it. Even when you don’t say anything, I can feel it.”** She was sensitive to the energies that surround her and could read just about anyone like a book because of it.

Bonnie didn’t give Prudence a chance to respond before she was up on her feet. The cigarette she borrowed earlier was probably long gone by now, much to her dismay. **“I’ll be back. I have to clear my head,”** she muttered before bolting out of the room. She ran down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Bonnie ignored the looks she received from her parents as she slid into a pair of shoes located near the door. She grabbed a winter coat from the coat rack and slipped into it. As she suited up, she could hear Abby’s heels clicking against the marble floor. Bonnie rolled her eyes; she could not get her coat zipped quick enough.

**“There’s a snowstorm approaching, Bonnie. Where are you going?”** When Bonnie didn’t answer, Abby tried again. **“I asked you a question.”**

**“Out.”** Abby sighed.

**“You’ll freeze to death.”** As irrational as it seemed, Abby’s concern pissed Bonnie off. She spun on her heels and faced her mother with a glare.

**“That’s what you want, isn’t it? Consider it a favor.”**

**“I didn’t mean what I said,”** her mother pleaded. Bonnie scoffed and shook her head as she opened the door and stepped over the threshold into the cold night air. As she slammed the door she muttered under her breath.

**“Go to hell, Abby.”**


End file.
